The long anticipated deal between the Mountain West Conference’s niche TV network — The Mtn. — and satellite carrier DirecTV is awaiting only a final signature.
The breakthrough was announced Thursday by San Diego State athletic director Jeff Schemmel. Hayne Ellis, manager of public relations for the Centennial-based studio, confirmed an agreement has been reached and an announcement would come when the signatures are in place.
Pending the official announcement from the MWC office, Colorado State AD Paul Kowalczyk said in a prepared statement: “Like everyone else, I have been eagerly awaiting the day we could announce a deal with one or both of the satellite companies. . . . I’ll wait for confirmation before getting too excited.”
There is no deal in place with Dish Network.
In 2006, the conference did not renew its contract with ESPN and bolted to CSTV. As part of the pioneering deal, the league was promised its own network. However, The Mtn., which carries most of the league’s football and men’s basketball games, has been limited in distribution to cable carriers within the league’s footprint, minus the Dallas-Fort Worth market.
Natalie Meisler: 303-954-1295 or nmeisler@denverpost.com
